Improvement in elevators



H. WOJ'AN..

ELEVATOR.

Patentgd Feb. 8,1876..

By is WITJVL'SSES HERRMANN PATENT WCJAN, oF BEIDCEPCRT, CONNECTICUT, AsslCNoE cro nur..

sELE AND ANTONI fwLoDEK, .oF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELEvAToRs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 173,150, dated Febrnary'8,'1876 application'led i January 20,1876.A

To all whom it mayv concern:

lBe it known that- I, 'HERRMANN ;WOJA'N,

:of Bridgeport, in the countyrof Faireld'and 'State of Connecticut, have invented certain all my improvements las .embodied in an elevator' mounted upon a'movable base, Figure f 1 is a vertical central section, on the 'line w m of Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a similar section at rightv angles to that shown in Fig. l, and. on the line y y of said figure; and Fig. 3, a horizontal-section, on the linez a of 'Fig'. l.

Posts or upright frames B B1 (shown in this instance as mounted or supported on a .mov- 'able base, A, and connected at top by a crosspiece, B2) serve as guides or controlling-Ways for a platform, C, which `moves up and down between them.` The platform embraces the uprights at its ends, being'suitably recessed' or mortised for this purpose. 'The guide-posts or uprights are llollowed or slotted longitudinally to receive rack-bars l) D, which areal# lowed a vertical reciprocating movement, andv prevented. from becomingv accidentally displaced by pins d d, passing through the uprights andthrough slots d in the toothed bars. f These bars rest at their lower ends upon the opposite ends of a vertically-rocking arm or lever,E,

lcentrally pivoted in a short post or support,

E', on the base A, wherev a base is provided, as hereln'shown, or upon Ia cross-piece extending between the lower ends ofthe uprights ory controlling-ways,when the base is dispensed with. The'plattorm is'cut vthrough on each side of its center, and provided with vertically reciprocating stands or treadlesF F1, operat ing, as they are alternately depressed, 'upon the opposite ends of a'rocking arm or lever,

Ateeth of the rack-bars.

G, centrallypivoted in ya postor down-hanger,

fg, securedtothe bottom of the platform. 4The .supports .orfrods f f1 of the treadles yor movable: stands pass throughthe slots in the plat- ;form, andzare formed or :provided attheir lower endsfwith outwardly-bentv portions f2f3, forming. bearers, actingupon the rocking arm Gr. These bearers are forked andbent downward, and provided with rollers H H1, which bear, as the treadles are reciprocated,'uponi the inner-sides of the uprights or platformcontrolling'frame.' Jointed arms or dogs H2 -HS' project upward from the treadle-rods to act upon the rack-bars D D; :H3 are shown as vpivoted at their lower'ends These arms El2 hy h1 between the .forks "of the -treadle-bearers, and as provided at their upper ends with hooks or detents ltz'hg, which engage with the Springs I I1, secured at theirlowerY endsupon the insides of theseI pivoted'arms, and 'bearing against theinner surfaces .of casings' or inclosing-framesI2 yI3, `press the hookstin toward the rack-bars. The

flanged sides i i of these frames I2 I3 move, as

.the platform vascends and descends, in close contact with the supporting-uprights, and

:steady aswell as aid in guiding the. movements ofthe platform.

' A cross piece or brace, J, connects the plati .form-guiding and dog-incasing frames 12:13,

thus securely bracing the platform." Ropes or Acords J1 pass from' the cross-brace ofthe platform over pulleys j j j j', mounted in the top rcross-piecefz of the elevator-frame, and extend downwardinto the hollow fram e-uprights,

having Weights KK1 attached tothein ends.

v4Afc'apor shield,fJ2, covers and protects the rpulleysfand top ofthe'framin g. llheseweights `serveto counterbalance -the eplatform vand 1 mechanisml carried thereby,ands move inways or 'chambers in `,the uprights, separated 'from -itheracks =`Dypartitions:k la. lThe `cords'are shown as connected with the platform by a turning shaftoribltfL, mounted inth'ecross- Y' piece of the plat-form, which `bolt: is provided with a lever, Kfbeneath' the cross-piece. YSlid- 'ing clutchesvor'detents Ll L2,'for= engaging with the lack-bars and: sustaining -the L platform, reciprocate upon vthe cross-brace'in suitthis instance, forced up to their work by coiled springs l L', bearing at their inner ends upon the inner guideways M Mlfin which the de- ,tents work, and at their outer ends against pins on the detent-bars just inside of the outer guides M2 M3. The inner ends of the detentarms are bent, and provided with shoulders or lugs mm1, on opposite sides ofthe turningbolt L. A pin, m2, passing through the turning-bolt,so as to form studs on the opposite sides thereof, acts simultaneously upon the lugs m m1 when the lever K2 is turned, withdrawing the detents from the rack-bars.

The turning-bolt L is connected with brake mechanism for checking the descent of the platform, in this instance by means of rods a nl, jointed at their inner ends to the opposite ends of a cross head or plate, N, centrally secured to the turning-bolt, and at their outer ends to lugs 11.2%3 on bows or yoke-like frames N1 N2, embracing the uprights B B1 of the elevator-frame, and secured outside thereof to brake blocks or plates O O, pivoted at their lower ends in supporting-brackets O2 O3, secured to the platform in suitable manner at the sides of the uprights. Strong springs o o', secured at their lower ends to the insides of the brakeshould be slightly turned outward) upon the outside of the frame-uprights, press the blocks outward with a constant tendency to keep the brake mechanism inoperative. The brakes are brought into operation by the turning bolt or head L and lever K2.

Yokes or forked frames P P', secured tothe hinged brake-blocks by means of their forks, which embrace the guiding-uprights, move in and out with the brake-blocks. The frames are, by preference, provided with guideways in the. sides of the frames I2 I3, which connect the platform and cross-beamBl, to brace them and keep them in proper position as they are reciprocated by the movements ofthe brakes. Vertical slots p 19' in the frames P P', and corresponding slots in the platform guiding' frames l2 13,- receive and allow play to pins R R on the spring arms or dogs H2 H3. These pins are headed or provided with stops on their outer ends, as shown, so that when the frames P P' are moved inward they act on the pins and pull the dogs inward, disengaging them from the rack-bars.

It will thus be seen that, by the action of the turning-bolt, the brakes are brought into operation, the platform-sustaining clutches L1 L? disengaged from the rack-bars, and the dogs H2 H3 withdrawn from the rack-bars simultaneously, or nearly so, with the turning of the lever K2.

. The operation of the elevator is as follows: The platform being in the position represented in Fig. 1, the lowest point to which it is desirable it should descend, (in which position it may rest upon suitable stops S S in the frameuprights,) the person wishing to ascend steps upon the platform and places his foot upon the treadle or reciprocating stand F, which,

in this instance, is held in position to be operated by means of a spring, T, on the base' being` engaged with one of the teeth of the v rack-bar D, draws down the rack, the lower end of which always rests on the end of the base-lever E beneath it, the inclined edges of the teeth of the bar slipping by the springclutch L1. During the downward .movement of bar D' the end ofthe lever E beneath the rackbar D' throws up this rack-bar. Thus, as the rack D moves down' the rack D' is carried up. As the treadle F' ascends by the lever E acting on it, and as the platform is automatically clutched with the rack-bar D' by means of the spring-detenta L2, the platform is movedup one step, or half the length of a tooth of the rackbar, the dog H3 and its hook h3 moving with the bar D', and the spring-clutch L1 freeing itself automatically from the rack-bar D during this movement. By the time the treadle has reached the limit of its downwardA movement and the treadle F' arrived at its uppermost position, the clutch L1 again engages with the rack D, the operator bears on his other foot or transfers his weight to the treadle or reciprocating stand F', and the above-described operation is inversely repeated, elevating the platform another step, or half the length of a notch ofthe rack-bars, and so on until the desired elevation.y of the platform is attained or the limit of its ascent reached. When the operator 'wishes to descend, the lever K2 is turned, thus throwing the brake into operation, withdrawing the dogs from the rack-bars and disengaging the sliding clutches, as will plainly appear from theforegoing description by reference to the drawings. The brakes enable the operator to stop the platform at any desired place in its descent. The turning-lever K2 should be arranged so as to be convenient to the operator, and may serve as a hold to steady him while upon the platform Vor using the treadles. Two persons can use the elevator at the same time, one standing upon either side ofthe cross-brace B2, and each having his feet uponthe treadles. The foot-rests of the treadles or reciprocating stands FiF' project inward, so as to overhang the rods or supports f f1 to a greater extent on the inside than on the outside, and are provided lwith guard-flanges T T', so as to cause the feetot' the operator to rest upon the stands in such position that his weight as applied to the treadles tends to swing or bear them inward and counterbalance the outwardly-projecting under portions of i thtreadlc-rods, as well as cause the rollers H H1 to bear upon the upl rights as the treadles reciprocate, thus creating less friction than would be produced by the working of the treadle-rods with their in' ner sides in contact with the walls of the slots in the platform. As the weight of the platform and mechanism carried thereby is balanced by the suspended weights and the rackbars counterbalance each other, it is obvious that the operator has only his own weight to carry, with the friction ofthe working parts of the mechanism added. The motion of the feet and legs in working the treadles resembles somewhat the movelnents of those parts in going up stairs.

For use in stores, in place of step-ladders, by plasterers, indoor painters, and for similar purposes, I prefer to mount thebase A upon rollers, and to arrange the guiding-frames I2 I3, and parts .carried thereby, as Well as the brake-blocks and cross-pieces J, below the platform and treadles. The turning-bolt L,

- in such instance, might extend up through the post g ofthe lever G, which post should be made hollow, and the lever centrally forked, so as to rock ou pivots outside of the post. In this manner, by omitting the top brace B2, and carrying the weighted cords directly over the corner pulleys j j', the top of the platform would be unobstructed,`and the operator could ascend as near the ceiling as desired, or raise himself from shelf to shelf of a store.

When the elevator is to be used for carry- Weights on the cords should vbe increased, so

as to counterbalance or nearly counterbalance trolling-ways, a platform moving between said ways, reciprocating stands or treadles carried by the platform, and mechanism, substantially such as described, operated by the alternate action of the stands, whereby the platform is elevated step by step, as set forth.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of upright ways, a counterbalanced platform moving up and down said Ways, reciprocating stands carried by the platform, and mechanism, substantially such asI described, for elevating the platform, actu-v ated by the reciprocating stands.

l The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of controlling-ways, a platform moving vbetween said ways, reciprocating rack-bars for elevating the platform, -carried by the ways, and a rocking lever, upon ing weight otherthan that of the operator the the opposite ends of which the rack-bars are supported. v 4,. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the uprights, the platform the reciprocating rack-bars, and clutches, carried by the platform, and automatically and alternately engaging with the rack-bars to connect the platform first with one rack-bar and then with the other,whereby the platform is elevated by the ascending rack-bar, whiley the other bar is left free to descend. ,Y

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the ways, the platform,

the reciprocating stands, the reciprocating" rack bars, and spring-dogs, ncarried by the stands, for alternately drawing down the rackbars.

6.' The reciprocating stands, provided withl foot-rests above the platform, and with bearers and rollers below the platform, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. The combination of upright ways, a plat-A form moving up and down between said ways, ropes connected with the platform, and pro-l vided with weights moving in the ways, rackbars reciprocating in the ways, a rocking lever, upon which the racks rest, clutches carried by the platform, and v engaging with the racks, reciprocating stands carried by the platform, a rocking lever, upon the opposite ends of which theystands bear, and Vdogs car-A ried by the stands, and 'engaging with the racks, these members being constructed and operating substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, substantially as here inbefore set forth, of the reciprocating racks moving in the platform-supporting uprights,

spring-clutches carried by the platform, andv a turning-shaft for simultaneously disengaging the clutches from the racks.

9. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the platform-supporting uprights, pivoted brakes mounted o n the platform, and the turning-shaft.

10. The combination of the platform-,supporting uprights, the reciprocating rack-bars, thereciprocating dogs, the pivoted brakes, and the turning-shaft, these members beingconstructed and operating substantially as set forth.

'11. The combination, substantially as'hereinbefore set forth, ofthe platform, its upright ways, the rack-bars, ,the spring-catches carried by the platform, and engaging with the rack-bars, the reciprocatingstands carried by the platform, the dogs mounted upon ythe stands,aud engaging with the rack-bars, the

brake mechanism, the turning-shaft, and its HERRMANN woJAN.

Witnesses:.

' .JosEPH I. PEYToN,

H. T. EARNEST. 

